A matchup with ninth-place Georgetown on Saturday provided Seton Hall an opportunity to bounce back after losing to Marquette at home Wednesday, but the right answers still elude the Pirates.
Seton Hall's first-half struggles proved to be too much to overcome in the team's 83-80 loss at Georgetown, the team's fifth loss in its last seven games.
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The Pirates' were slow out of the gate, falling behind 11-8 at the first media timeout. Desi Rodriguez accounted for six of the Hall’s eight points on two three-pointers.
The Pirates went on to miss 13 shots in the first eight minutes of play, good for 33 percent shooting. The struggles then persisted, as they fell down 24-14 to the Hoyas, making just one of their last eight shot attempts.
As Rodriguez's scoring, and a three-pointer from Jordan Walker, kept Seton Hall within shooting distance, an emphatic block by Jamorko Pickett on Khadeen Carrington was followed by an and-one by Pickett to put the Hoyas up 11. Georgetown kept the hot hand with another and-one at the rim, with a three-pointer putting the Hoyas up by 15.
At the half, the Pirates found themselves trailing 46-33 on 34 percent shooting. On the other end, the Hoyas were shooting just over 59 percent and had Seton Hall beat in rebounds as well as points in the paint.
The second half appeared it would be more of the same at the start, as Georgetown immediately got out to a 17-point lead. However, a couple three-pointers from the hot-handed Myles Powell gave the Pirates a shot at a comeback, cutting the deficit to 10.
The Pirates surged ahead from there with improved shooting and found themselves in a one-possession game after a Rodriguez dunk. Seton Hall was answered promptly by Georgetown, however, who retook a seven-point lead with under eight minutes remaining as Carrington continued his foul trouble trend and went to the bench.
Out of the timeout, Seton Hall came back with more intensity, as a Powell three and Rodriguez dunk had the Pirates within three. Shortly after, it was Powell again with a three-pointer from the wing to tie the game after being down by as many as 17. Delgado came up with the lay-in on the following possession to put the Pirates up two in their first lead of the day.
But the Hoyas refused to back down, forcing a Seton Hall turnover and holding a 76-72 lead with 2:56 left.
Jessie Govan hit a jumper to put Georgetown up by five points with just over a minute left, but Seton Hall quickly responded. After a Powell and-one, Carrington made it to the rim with a lay-in to tie the game with momentum in Seton Hall’s favor.
Again, the Hoyas answered and found their hot hand Marcus Derrickson from deep, who hit his shot and was then fouled by Carrington. A made free throw meant a two-possession game for Georgetown, but Derrickson, who finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds, missed it.
Seton Hall took a timeout and had a bit over four seconds to score, down three. Powell ended up getting a good look as time expired, but he was not able to add a seventh three-pointer to his game.
The loss drops Seton Hall to 6-6 in Big East play and sixth place in the conference. The Pirates' schedule does not get easier, as they will head to Cincinnati to take on No. 5 Xavier on Feb. 14.
Keith Egan can be reached at keith.egan@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Keith_egan10.
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